A_Star

A* Pathfinding Visualizer

## A* Pathfinding Visualizer

This project is an interactive web-based demonstration of the A* pathfinding algorithm. It allows users to create a custom grid, place obstacles, add weighted terrain, move the start and destination points, and watch the algorithm search for the most efficient route in real time.

The visualizer displays how A* evaluates different nodes by combining the distance already travelled with an estimated distance to the destination. During the search, visited nodes, available nodes, and the final shortest path are shown using different colors.

Users can run the algorithm automatically, pause the animation, or move through the search one step at a time. The animation speed can also be adjusted to make the process easier to study.

### Main Features

* Interactive grid editor
* Draw and remove obstacles
* Add terrain with a movement cost of five
* Move the start and destination nodes
* Animated A* search process
* Pause, resume, and step-by-step controls
* Adjustable animation speed
* Optional diagonal movement
* Random obstacle generation
* Live search statistics
* Final path cost and length calculation
* Built-in legend and A* pseudocode
* Runs directly in a browser without external libraries

This visualizer is designed as an educational tool for students, developers, and anyone interested in understanding how pathfinding algorithms work. It demonstrates how A* uses actual movement cost and heuristic estimation to find an efficient route while avoiding obstacles and expensive terrain.



## A* Pathfinding Visualizer

This project is an interactive web-based demonstration of the A* pathfinding algorithm. It allows users to create a custom grid, place obstacles, add weighted terrain, move the start and destination points, and watch the algorithm search for the most efficient route in real time.

The visualizer displays how A* evaluates different nodes by combining the distance already travelled with an estimated distance to the destination. During the search, visited nodes, available nodes, and the final shortest path are shown using different colors.

Users can run the algorithm automatically, pause the animation, or move through the search one step at a time. The animation speed can also be adjusted to make the process easier to study.

### Main Features

* Interactive grid editor
* Draw and remove obstacles
* Add terrain with a movement cost of five
* Move the start and destination nodes
* Animated A* search process
* Pause, resume, and step-by-step controls
* Adjustable animation speed
* Optional diagonal movement
* Random obstacle generation
* Live search statistics
* Final path cost and length calculation
* Built-in legend and A* pseudocode
* Runs directly in a browser without external libraries

This visualizer is designed as an educational tool for students, developers, and anyone interested in understanding how pathfinding algorithms work. It demonstrates how A* uses actual movement cost and heuristic estimation to find an efficient route while avoiding obstacles and expensive terrain.